Summer Escapes on the Scottish Isle by Lilac Mills~Blog Tour

 

Publisher: Canelo Romance

Publication Date: 17th July 2025

Genre: Romance

Summary:

Will she give everything up for love?

Freya Sinclair has it all. An exciting life in London, a successful career as a ceramicist and a handsome boyfriend. But when she receives a call that her father is in hospital, she drops everything to support his recovery in Skye.

On the island, Freya finds new inspiration – Coorie Castle’s craft centre is firing her creativity and she’s glad to be back with her dad again. Being so close to her schoolgirl crush, Mackenzie Burns, is an added bonus. The two share an instant connection and Freya misses London less and less.

But Freya has a boyfriend at home and now a dazzling job offer in New York. She must figure out what she truly wants, before anyone gets hurt.

Review:
Firstly thank you to Rachels Random Resources, Canelo Romance and Lilac Mills for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.

Now I've read some of Lilac Mills books before and I've always enjoyed her writing style so i knew that id enjoy this book and id be able to get lost in the story very easily.

I have to say i loved Freya from the off, she was so easy to like and relate to. I feel we all get to a point where we're carrying on but we're not completely sure if the path we're on is where we still want to be. It was so true to life that it takes a big life upheaval to make you truly look at things and make a change. 

 Now obviously the whole growing romance between Freya and Mack is the main relationship that we follow in this book and i loved doing just that but honestly i loved the relationship between Freya and her Dad more. I adored seeing that caring relationship between the two of them and the way that it had to change and almost have that complete role reversal for a while which is never easy but is something that always happens suddenly, we never like to think of our parents aging but they do and i think Lilac Mills wrote it beautifully here.
Having said it made smile so much to see how Mack just slipped into their family so easily and without a conscious effort to do so, it was one of the many parts of this book that gave me that warm fuzzy feeling that a good romance does. Im hoping that as this series continues we get little glimpses of Freya and Mack and how life is for them because i loved them as a couple and honestly id happily read more of them if it was written.
This is defiantly a good summer romance to take you away if your not going anywhere this summer and it will make you want to visit the Scottish Isles to find your own creative inspiration because the descriptions of the scenery is so vivid that you want to climb up with Freya to view the loch or walk along its shore and enjoy the sounds of nature.
Im defiantly heading back there soon, probably with a cuppa curled up listening to the birds sing.

Krystina xx

Love Forever Lindisfarne by Kimberley Adams ~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Shy Bairns Publishing

Publication Date: 22nd June 2025

Genre: Romance

Summary:

When a stranger appears in the middle of a very important celebration, no one can foresee the island connections that will later come to light. Kittiwake Penaluna is drawn to the island at a sad time in her life; she’s broken, but it doesn’t take long for the islanders to rally round and take her under their wing.

Ellie and Zen are busier than they’ve ever been, jumping from task to task with little time for themselves. Will they ever find a moment together away from all the drama that constantly follows them around the island?

The forthcoming arrival of nine new mini animals puts even more pressure on the islanders, but Bert is resolute, and it’s all hands to the pump to prepare for their arrival. The Mini-Fest fundraiser gets off to a great start, until a despised face from the past appears and throws everything into chaos.

Review:
Firstly thank you to Rachels Random resources, Shy Bairns Publishing and Kimberly Adams for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
I couldn't pass by being on the tour for this book, I've absolutely adored the first two in the series and i knew this one would bring me back to those characters I've loved following. It was so easy to slip back to Lindisfarne with Kimberley Adams wonderful writing style, she describes Lindisfarne so well that you could close your eyes and step onto the island. As always after reading her books i have the urge to go and visit Lindisfarne again, its a beautiful island and the local landmarks she highlights in her story just give me a list for where to go on holiday. Her writing makes it so easy to loose time, I read this in one sitting and i have no regrets about ignoring the world for a few hours to do so. 
I loved that we got to catch up of Ellie and Zen's life, along with the rest of the Islanders that we've grown to love over the last two books and normally Ethel is my favourite character. I love her forthright sassy nature but i have to say she was topped in this book, i have a new favourite! I absolutely loved Barry! and i so hope we get to see lots more from him he was just so lovable that every time he was on the page i wanted to give him a hug.
You know i like to keep my reviews spoiler free so i wont say much other than there were a few times in this book where i thought we were going in one direction ( that i loved the idea of) and then it'd twist just slightly and we'd end up somewhere different with an outcome that i loved even more than the one id thought of. I know its a tad cryptic but trust me you don't want me spoiling these lovely moments. If you love a sweet romance you need to pick up this book (and the rest of the series) and devour it over your summer holiday this year.

Krystina xx

The Death & Life of Lucy Westenra by Rosie Fiore~Blog Tour

 

Publisher:  Independently published

Publication Date: ‎ 2nd May 2025

Genre: Historical Fantasy

Summary:

What desperate steps will Lucy Westenra take to save her own life?

Hillingham in Hampstead, once the home of the well-to-do Westenra family, now divided into apartments. When teacher Kate Balcombe sets about renovating her flat in the attic, she finds an unsent letter, written 130 years before by Lucy, the nineteen-year-old daughter of the house.

You may know Lucy from Bram Stoker’s Dracula... a pretty, flirtatious girl with three ardent suitors, she is Mina Harker’s best friend. When Lucy falls mysteriously ill and dies, Van Helsing identifies her as a victim of the vampire.

But what if the monsters who hunt Lucy are much closer to home?

As Kate begins to investigate Lucy’s story, she meets James Harker, Mina’s great-great grandson, and together they uncover a long-hidden story of deception and murder.

Review:
Firstly thank you to Rachel's Random Resources and Rosie Fiore for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.

So I'm a big fan of Dracula and as soon as I saw Lucy's name in the title of this book I knew I wanted to read it. Lucy in Dracula is always seen as a really giddy and often silly "Little Girl" despite being 18/19 and she's just cast to one side as a Victim of Dracula, a point to move the story forward and drive Mina towards him. And I really liked the idea of her being so much more than that. In this we get to see Lucy as more than just a silly girl that's a victim, she's a very intellectual woman that takes far more pride in her mind than how she looks which makes her very modern in a sense. She becomes a more relatable character to a modern audience and you get far more invested in her story and what happened to her than you do in Dracula.
I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that we went between the different time periods and that the way Kate finds out more about Lucy is though national census, it makes her more than just a character from Dracula which I adored. I found the switches between timelines very easy, I wasn't ever jolted by the switch so I kept engrossed in the story throughout. Rosie Fiore has a very easy going writing style, it never made me feel like I was working to get the next stage of the story, I found pages and time slipping away from me with ease.

I absolutely loved being able to get to know this version of Lucy Westenra, she's a far more dynamic and honestly likeable version of the original character. I don't think it matters if you've read Dracula or not to be able to dive in and enjoy this book, I enjoyed having the knowledge of who the characters were when reading but the connections are made clear enough that I don't think its a requirement. But if you do love Dracula I think you will thoroughly enjoy this and it should be added to that tbr!

Krystina xx

The Cardinal by Alison Weir ~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Headline Review

Publication Date: 22nd May 2025

Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary:

AN EXTRAORDINARY RISE TO POWER. A TRAGIC FALL FROM GRACE.

It begins with young Tom Wolsey, the bright and brilliant son of a Suffolk tradesman, sent to study at Oxford at just eleven years old.

It ends with a disgraced cardinal, cast from the King's side and estranged from the woman he loves.

The years in between tell the story of a scholar and a lover, a father and a priest. From the court of Henry VIII, Tom builds a powerful empire of church and state. At home in London, away from prying eyes, he finds joy in a secret second life.

But when King Henry, his cherished friend, demands the ultimate sacrifice, what will Wolsey choose?

Review:
Firstly thank you to Random Things Book Tours, Headline Review and Alison Weir for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.

Well first off I have to say the cover of the book is beautiful! I mean Alison Weirs books are always beautiful but we normally have the portrait of the subject on the cover and I really like that we don't have Thomas Wolsey on this one, I think the crossed keys sum him up very well. I always adore Alison Weirs books, she has such and evocative way of writing that it just draws you immediately into Tudor England and emerses you into the story.  Its safe to say that i knew this would be a glowing review before i even picked the book up!

Thomas Wolsey is a fascinating historical figure, his rise from the lower ranks of society to the highest position bar the King is one of the best know from the Tudor court and I'm not surprised that he was who Alison Weir chose to write about, this being only the second of her books about a male figure from Henry VIII's court. She's made stepping into his shoes and story so easy and I've been able to look at his story from a more sympathetic view than I have before. Often he's cast in a very negative light as a power hungry and money grabbing man that manipulated Henry for his own benefit (at least in most on screen representations of him) and little is shown about his care for his mistress and children, whereas in this we get to see that side of him. Yes he is a man who wants power and social standing along with the wealth that comes with it but he is not that one dimensional character, there are many fascinating sides to him. I loved that we got to see his struggles over not being able to acknowledge his children and his internal struggles with his need and want to be in a position where he is respected, has power and prestige and his want to be able to call his mistress his wife and have his children with him. Its a side to him that I have enjoyed discovering because generally his mistress is used to portray him as a bad priest when looking at his downfall. This book has made me want to get a few biographies about him out and immerse myself in finding more about someone I've never looked deeper at when reading about the Tudor period.
If you love the Tudor period I defiantly think this book should be on your to buy list.

Krystina xx

Eerie Exhibits by Victoria Williamson ~Blog Tour

 Publisher: Silver Thistle Press

Publication Date: 8th March 2025

Genre: Horror

Summary:

Five unnerving tales of the weird and uncanny from award-winning author Victoria Williamson.

A room full of screaming butterflies.

An unsettling smile on the face of a carved sarcophagus.

A painting that draws its viewer into the disturbing past.

A stuffed bear that growls in the dead of night.

And a shell that whispers more sinister sounds than the sigh of the sea…

Dare you cross the threshold of the old Museum and view its eerie exhibits?

Review:
Firstly thank you to TheWriteReads, Silver Thistle Press and Victoria Williamson for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, each story in this collection only had a single line description which admittedly drew me in immediately but also left me curious as to what level of horror i was about to dive into.
I do enjoy a well written horror and a well written on can stay on your mind days after you've finished it, and i have to say these stories stayed bouncing about in my head well after id finished them. Its an aptly named collection because these stories are Eerie, sinister at times and have a way of making you think unexpectedly. I actually had to put the book down after id read The Screaming Room, its ending made me sit back and think it was so brilliantly crafted to leave you not fully putting all the pieces together until that final chapter and then having to sit back and reflect on the story as a whole. I thoroughly enjoyed having to sit with the thoughts it gave me.
The pacing throughout each of the stories is perfect, it gradually leads you to that sinister twist dropping breadcrumbs of foreshadowing as it does so you get that smallest hint of what to expect without the end being spoiled in anyway.
I've really loved Victoria Williamson's witing style, she has a knack for writing this genre and i defiantly need to check out her back catalogue for more by her because I've enjoyed this book so much. I'd already recommended it to several friends, before id even finished reading it, anyone who enjoys the horror genre needs to give this a read.

Krystina xx

What Goes Around by Michael Wendroff ~Blog Tour

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Publication Date: 10th October 2024

Genre: Thriller

Summary:

EVIL HAS MANY FACES

Chilling murders terrorize a town and bring together two detectives to face the hardest tasks of their lives. Jack Ludlum, who relies on his brawn to get things done, is now paired with his archenemy, Jill Jarred, a brilliant investigator with keen intuition. As they delve into the secret world of incels and white supremacists, and conflict between local authorities and the FBI rages, a media frenzy further complicates the mission.

Is there a serial killer on the loose? Or something entirely different? Will the detectives' clashing personalities be their undoing, or can they unite to stop the killer before they kill each other?

Review:
Firstly thank you to Partners in Crime Book Tours, Head of Zeus and Michael Wendroff for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.

The blurb of this book had me hooked, i always love a thriller when we have clashing personalities from the off it brings something extra to it. You often focus less on the case and then miss things making the end more of a surprise than normal because you focus on the developing working relationship.
I really liked out two MC's Jack and Jill, they are really strong characters and when they are on the page they dont half take up space. And when they are working well together they control situations and even though that element of jeopardy is often there you know that they will handle whatever is thrown at them.
Michael Wendroff's writing is fantastic, it draws you into the story and makes you want to keep reading. Something that threw me a little at first was the shortness of the chapters, some being as short as a paragraph and others being a few pages at best but i actually really enjoyed that. It made it feel like you were progressing through the story at a really good pace, it also made it easy to keep saying "oh just one more chapter..." and find yourself reading half a dozen more at least.
I really enjoyed Jack and Jills partnership, their different ways of working really complimented each other and i enjoyed watching them start to work together and use each others strengths instead of constantly trying to compete and id really like to see them working on another case together.

Krystina xx

Catch a Falling Star by Laura Carter ~Blog Tour

 Publisher:  Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 14th April 2025

Genre: Romance

Summary:

It’s never too late…

Lyra Clarkson has built a career capturing other people’s perfect moments. She loves her work as a wedding photographer – despite her family’s disapproval – but she’s never quite found her own path.

Guy Walker, former rock star turned wedding singer, has hit a new low. Desperately needing cash, he’s agreed to take any gig his manager can get him, even if this new form of entertainment isn’t just singing.

As Lyra and Guy’s paths cross – in the most bizarre way possible – an unexpected kiss will change everything. But was it simply a chance encounter or is fate bringing them back together?

Now forced into each other’s lives for the entire wedding season, the unlikely pair may just figure out together how to realise both their dreams…

Review:
Firstly thank you to Rachels Random Resources, Boldwood Books and Laura Carter for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
Its a bit like cheating but i knew i was going to love this book from the moment that i read the blurb, that added with the fact that i already know that i love Laura Carters writing style meant this book was a winner for me.
I wasn't wrong, I've loved every single page of this book. I instantly loved Lyra, she was like all my university friends rolled into one and she was so easy to connect with that i was invested in her from the first page. 
I adored getting to know Guy through his chapters, he did frustrate the heck out of me though, his deciding that he wasn't good enough for Lyra was annoying. Don't get me wrong i did fall in love with him very quickly and i spent at least 75% of the book wanting to give him a hug and the other 25% yelling at him (out loud much to the confusion of my family) and i was rooting for them from that first moment they became reacquainted. I really disliked Lyra's family to start off with, the way they kept putting her down, and the fact that she just took it!, made me so angry at times. But i did enjoy seeing how their relationship changed throughout the book and i loved how their support came though at the end. I think the contrast in family dynamics between our two MC's was really well done and i liked seeing their different upbringings portrayed so brilliantly.
I've always loved Laura Carters writing style she makes characters that are so relatable that its easy to get drawn  into their lives and care for what is going on and their happiness. What i really loved about this book was that it wasn't just about the romance element, both MC's needed to work on what made them happy without each other as well. I loved that they both had a fulfilling relationship and career by the end of the book.
As usual Laura Carter has hit it out of the park with this book, and i cannot wait for her next book!

Krystina xx